Don Freecs
by Doctor Blythe
Summary: I realize the world is a huge puzzle with billions of pieces waiting to be solved. The environment, the forest, or an inch perimeter of grassland was a struggle or a survival game for any organisms. I realize how tiny I was on this vast world with azure sky and earth with billion living species.
1. Chapter 1 Introduction

**Don Freecs:The Adventure of a Lone Hunter**

When I was 3 years old I remember being agitated for not able to melt the steel into a desirable shape that made me work for weeks computing its melting point. In my young age I questioned tons of things and seek for its answers, some are easy like why the staff submerge in a lake appears to bend? Or some difficult questions like what's the speed of raindrop if it varies, I never knew.

The folks in our town consider me as a genius of course I know what genius means very clever, that is where they're wrong for I have insufficient knowledge that's why I grew up working every single day to attain information, information about everything.

One day as I was looking at my surrounding but really not seeing anything instead wondering why I can't see the wind I was taken aback by a bird with a worm in its beak the bird still picking the soil ignorant as the snake was slithering ready to devour its tiny body, in the far corner of where I'm sitting I saw a spider web with butterflies and insect struggling to flee the web that's grueling its colorful wings.

A sudden melancholy hit me as I realize how ignorant I am about how the world works. I remember running afterwards packing my belongings.

I realize the world is a huge puzzle with billions of pieces waiting to be solved. The environment, the forest, or an inch perimeter of grassland was a struggle or a survival game for any organisms. I realize how tiny I was on this vast world with azure sky and earth with billions of living species. And I smile as a thought form in my mind that this world is a game made for me. I have definite goal in my life starting that day to seek answers of question after question, to discover the unknown, to explore this exotic world and to gain knowledge that can be share in generation after generation and I conclude that I was a hunter after all, not a historian or a scientist or inventor but a hunter.

I travel country after country, read thousands of books, learned to speak different language, and practice martial arts for my own safety as I was in a middle of routine practicing I can sense a warm energy ebbing in every pore of my skin and I felt excited that moment about this unknown development and day after day I trained to master that energy and I succeed on that area for acquiring certain ability that no normal human can do. On that day I feel pretty proud for myself.

I was growing beard when I grasped the reality that I had wandered the every corner of our world. I felt sudden of panic for the realization that I had nothing to go next, no destination means no purpose and I feared that on my early age I'll be seeking paths than dreams. I succumbed and sob knowing that I'd finished the maze without realizing that I already started lurking.

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander on the places I had been, it was like stargazing in the night sky and connecting the stars together to form lovely constellations. Somehow a sudden thought occurred to me, what if the only stars I've seen was the stars that visible and bright, what if the only places I had been was those reachable places? A bead inside me burns telling me to hope and it blazed me so much that I feel like an ember ready to char the world. I gathered words and secrets and here I am now... here on Dark Continent.

As I was writing this I am leaning on some kind of a lotus plant as huge as a small house, I am also eating a strawberry look alike fruit with poison ivy leaf as small as blueberries. I was wandering for an hour and realize to rest and write. And also I would like to note that I haven't seen a single insect or animals yet. I can feel how dangerous this place is, but my excitement to discover and learn things negate the idea to be cautious. I'd never been happy in my life like as I am happy as today. (Well, might be, if not how I can see my fingers and skin protruding like a mad popcorn. Ha-ha-ha! I maybe look so funny if you see me but I cannot continue writing this way, this thing doesn't have a caption that says "hey I'm a poison" so you really can't blame me, heh. Surely, Ignorance is bliss, knowing nothing is full of surprises, but just you wait I will classify and discover every species in this Dark Continent, and let the world know about it.)

Oh and anyways, My name is Don…. Don Freecs.

* * *

_The story onwards focuses on the adventure of Don Freecs on his West journey. Next chapter : **WEST x AND x SEIG**_


	2. Chapter 2 WEST x AND x SEIG

**Don Freecs:The Adventure of a Lone Hunter**

******The progenitor of fountain of youth and demise: The aqueous leech**

It was like eons ago when my journey in the East ended. Dangerous creatures that can make one's death an escapable abyss, a habitat where all of predators assemble. I was lucky enough to survive that.

My life flashes in front of me a thousand times, my every battle was a good fight I stand on my ground proud and clever and every winning has somewhat considerable prize to wage.

After of those decades of struggling, wandering and observing the set of this dark nature, stabbing killable prey on the way, preparing for a battle of a monsters that knows nothing but with definite purpose, that is to hunt.

What caught my attention was this creature with human body and a head of sphere mass of gall. It stands on a plain ground with full of certainty and undeniably keeping something from someone who might take it. I know somehow that it's protecting something important behind those walls of rocks and I was right, this creature was a guardian of ancient ruin.

That ancient ruin that described this continent history and that protector that I was able to defeat was a long past already. Like how bygone it was when I was able to escaped death reaper's sickness, the beast, the snake and the gas form creature. Like it was hundred years ago that I'm supposed to be dead yet still alive, how, you ask? Yes, there are significant species on the East that might force a king to sacrifice his soldiers just to obtain it, like the nitro rice that prolongs life, the ores that generate electricity and an herb that can cure anything. Those things are valuable in humans, those things seems nothing compared to things that are here on the West.

_My East journey appears to be a fantastic and magical dream, for where I am now is a nightmare._

Hundred years ago when I continue my research in the west part of dark continent but sad to admit that I am still not progressing on my journey, not even for a quarter but tomorrow I'll clear my trail of staying here and find the path where the ruins dictate me to go.

Weather was my greatest enemy here, I passed the Isle of Ice and battle the gigantic yetis that throw blizzards and can make avalanche. Then I was stranded here in a slimy region of the west part, the only path to escape this area was blocked by those crystal clear translucent beings, so I have no choice but to defeat them in a way for me if I want to continue my journey.

My first attempt to pass this region made me age hundreds of years. I was exhausted that time, the surrounding appears normal for the first sight but everything in the Dark Continent wasn't normal.

The shrubs are gossiping, the stones are grinding, and one rock bit me if I wasn't vigilant enough to use gyo maybe now I'm limping. Ah, I mentioned _Gyo_, I learned that term centuries ago when I met Seig, which really seemed like an illusion seeing a human. He was having a critical stage symptom of a zombae disease and I wasted no second and administer a concentrated extract of an herb that can cure any diseases and let him have a rest.

* * *

I was in a middle of meditation when I heard someone speak.

"I never saw high quality of _ten_ like yours"

I focused sealing my aura. "And oh, I never expected for you to be awake just an hour after, a normal human would have been knock out for half a month to refurbished their energy anew.

I heard him "tsk" and I can feel him advanced towards me I can smell mixtures of metal aim directly at me. I chuckled as I heard him tsk again.

"Whoa, calmed down, I can picture how cute creatures here compared to your wildness and it won't hurt me if you say thanks as a gratitude that I just save your life"

"I never asked you to saved me and I don't want to be indebted to anybody so it will save me the trouble of being in debt if I kill you right now"

I can feel a tickle of energy in my shoulder and I saw the shadow of his movement as he aimed for another attack.

"Your speed is admirable, young one"

I caught his arm and pinned him down I let him smell a scent that triggers beast to relaxation I acquired this on sea of trees and it's easy to use without the hassle of extracting it juice.

"What have you done?" He asked.

"Nothing…. And Ah, I heard you said "_ten_" a while ago and you also said that you hate being indebted so let me give you a proposition, as you see I've got no idea what ten is so explain everything about it regarding its history, objective. …everything… and consider it after that we're even"

He raised an eyebrow for a reply and laugh as if I've said something amusing.

"What"? I asked feeling irritated.

"Seriously, you don't know it even if you're performing it splendidly your _ken_ is flawless too that it's quite annoying."

I sighed. "Explain, now"

He eyed me for a minute and I can read him weighing his options, I leaked my aura as possible as I can and I saw him shudders.

"Turn off your En, I'll tell you everything about Nen" He said as he approached me carefully as if I'm about to devour him.

"It would be nice if we have glass of water so we can test what's your Nen type" he said after explaining about Nen.

"I guess I fall in materialization type."

He raised an eyebrow with obvious questioning look.

Hmm. I've live a long life and have lot of times to spare, it's just one day I thought that it would be good if I shaped my aura into something I could utilize the most"

"And"? He asked when I stop talking.

"And I shaped it or should I use your term I conjured something that suits my interest. Wait here."

The man with ruffled spiky hairstyle and shanty eyes with circular face was unable to hide how flabbergasted he was. He had a nen ability without knowing what it was, he thought. He looked at the man with long hair as he turned his back on him and he disappears without trace, after for a minute wondering where he had gone, he came back carrying a glass of water.

"Here it is" I said.

The man straightens himself and went to get a leaf and put it into glass of water.

"Hold the glass and activate your ren." He ordered.

And so I did. I could see impurities appeared on the water and it changes into wine look liquor and the leaf moves and water's ebbing and the glass cracked.

The young man was sweating then he dips his finger in the water and tasted it.

"Menthol" he muttered.

"So, what now?" I asked feeling bored.

"Impossible" I heard him say.

I sighed. I stand up feeling my empty stomach calling for food.

"I'll go looked for food, would you want to wait here or come with me"

He stared at me like it was the first time he ever see me in front of him.

"No. I have something to do, we'll part ways here."

"Aw man, I'm lonely, it's the first time I met a companion and he's too hasty and wild"

He smiled accepting my words as if it was the most wonderful flattery he has ever heard then he walked away.

"Hey, what's your name? I yelled.

"Zigg" he moans.

What?

"Sidge"

"What"? I asked again.

I heard him say "Whatever" and then he was gone.

Well, goodbye Seig. Tsk. Humans.

* * *

That was my first and last confrère with human.

I lost count of my age I lost count how long has it passed when I encountered Seig. Though definitely yesterday I am but an old man and I was sure that I am hundreds years of age now. There are plants and foods on the east that I stored for my health and life sustenance, but that doesn't mean that I am invincible to aging.

My battle experience in the East made me careful enough not to wear my aura as a cloth for creatures here evolve like a fired bullet and the next time I know they can use Nen like I do. So as I was saying that I looked like an old man now just after stepping on a wet surface a second left I was enveloped by a transparent membrane that sucks every juice of me I let my aura burst out into my body tearing my attacker if I were a fraction of second late I will be nothing but a dead bones now. Really, that serves me being cocky and for that I found myself being cautious for the first time in this unknown continent.

Looking ahead aside from enigmatic aura of the surrounding where I am standing was moisten landmass with greeneries of shrubs with colourful flowers with horrible scenting fruits. My intuition was kicking me not to step further so I stepped back laughing with my incapability. I sighed when I saw my wrinkled skin, my body seemed to reciprocate my actual age now, that creature suck the youthfulness of my physique living me looked like a hermit that lives awfully long (well, that part was quite true).

I'm wise enough to stop my tracked and went back to Isle of Ice. I stayed for a decade in an icy cave unable to access my laboratory in that region made my body adapt to cold. I remember the first time I learned martial arts the routine I'm doing, I'm doing it again like a starter, doing it in a middle of a snowy mountain with no warm clothes with throwing yetis and playful avalanche.

After doing it for years, my training yields a somewhat expectable result. I can now feel that I could change my nen's temperature below freezing point. I thought that the aqueous creature that could sucks life energy was invincible to any physical attacks, it was but water in a form gigantic worm, it was like a leech for it sucked juices of its target specifically it sucks life, youthfulness. I cannot defeat water but if it was turned into ice then I can unable its degree of harmfulness.

* * *

**_*Pfft. This is an original story but I do not own HxH._  
**

**_*Next Chapter: Lab X and X Leech_**


	3. Chapter 3 LABxANDxLEECH

_Guest: How is Don related to Ging and Gon Freecs?_

_*I have this big hunch that if we trace Gon Freecs background pedigree then Don Freecs name would appear on the branches. I won't say that he's Ging-san great great great grandfather since the manga roughly mention that he existed more than 300 years ago that made him ancient so possibly he's Gon's ancestor. We'll find out when Ging's Dark Continent expedition began and let Togashi-sensei unveil the connection between them the moment they met (for Don Freecs was somewhat alive and enjoying his journey on the west, just a probable conclusion for Ging himself infer that Don Freecs is alive.)_

_I'll accept more questions and I'll answer with my own opinion and insights._

**_Now READ ON !_**

* * *

**The Progenitor Of Fountain Of Youth And Demise: The Aqueous Leech  
**

The day of my parting in my training ground was somewhat gallant and sophisticated. A steam of carpet and a roar for a drum roll, a mythical creature that breathes fire blazes my direction. It's a beautiful thing so I warily fought it, careful enough not to destroy its perfectness. It took me months to reach the wet landmass, I brought the beast with me, frozen and seamless.

I wander for a distance that's enough to make the sky color change, and perhaps I was walking in a labyrinth and meandering same place all over again. The place wasn't the picture of the place I had been, I used Gyo to search for the mark I had placed decades ago and alas I finally found it.

In a trunk of the strapping tree I could see the faint aura I laid, crawling beyond it was a thorny vine dripping with poison, its leaves was porous and its flower- a meter diameter with two rotting petals, in the center a pity creature was shrieking. A carnivorous plants everywhere, Oh how I missed them.

I placed the huge frozen beast I'm carrying leaving a thumping sound as it reached the solid ground.

I clutched the vine and it slither on my body wetting my skin with toxin and clouding my vision with pores. I could hear the gulping sound of its flower as its recent food was swallowed in. I controlled my aura, calm and shallow as a lake, recalling the chilly feeling back at snowy ground, imagining the snow, the ice, its texture, color and its scent even its taste. I could feel the color of my nen changes from white to blue and the vine that's embracing me felt nostalgic in my skin, whizzing as been frozen, becoming still and still.

And I made my Nen red and let it freed my frame making the frozen vine shattered and broken like a glass showering shrapnel in the air.

I felt dizzy after using this new power, taking my body heat, straining some of my energy but I knew that I'm getting used to it since it lasted just for a seconds then I dragged my beautiful beast as I reached for the mark I draw in the trunk of the tree, it was a portal of my created dimension.

Inside was wide enough for a laboratory with white walls and circular ceiling, in the middle, apparatus was rested in a long table, and in every corner has numerous shelf, shelf for samples and preserved species, see-through jar of insects and seeds, animals and plants with labels.

The entirety of sample creature or species was breathing but I am the only one allowed to move, once an alive animal brought inside my chamber means no escape, they're living but deprived with motor skills, one remarkable thing that made my laboratory stress-free.

I can only access my laboratory if and only if I brought a certain different species and of course, everything inside aside from samples was a mere product of my Nen and when I was done dissecting and extracting knowledgeable info about that certain species then the laboratory will heave me out automatically and if I can't find satisfactory results that must be written in my conjured log book then I would be imprisoned inside, I made those terms to motivate me in researching and it really is a nice term.

Somehow I had already an antibody for the vine's poison not that it surprise me for I'd been poisoned lot of times in the East making my immune system invulnerable to toxins.

So I worked for the beast I captured and sighed as I saw my wrinkled skin that was busied thawing the large fire breathing creature and I thought of how I could avenge my stolen youth from the aqueous leech. Months after I was done dissecting the beast and input my conclusion and significant information about it in my log book, I was out again, exposed in danger, susceptible to death.

Inside my laboratory seemed like a distant past even if I was there a second ago, the mark in the tree vanish and I will laid it again at some point, onto my next destination.

I activated my En and search for the entire area and I could see moving and flying creatures even afar, but what I was looking for is those sucking creature and they're nearer on me than expected.

And I banged my head on the carapace of a snoring turtle making it growl when I realized that activating En might awake the aura of savage creature making it capable of using Nen and snickered for the possibility knowing that it would make them more fun as a prey.

The turtle with horns kicked me, landing me precisely on its back. This happened all the time, some horrible looking animals would just start licking me or tousled my hair or mare them, they look at me with those sparkling obnoxious eyes and held me like a precious food. It must be pheromones, I thought and laughed.

I set off my ride and patted it like a domesticated animal and signaled for it to get away and it left hesitantly.

I could see shapeless water like a mirage in a near distant and in the periphery of my view was a beautiful fountain, glimmering and inviting.

The shrubs nearby are greener than green, with luscious smell of rainbow fruit. My stomach howled and I drool for my instinct dictates that it's totally edible.

I stepped forward to grab it totally forgetting that I was there to reunite with my translucent foe.

The moment I moved the pool of water ahead of me shaped in a form of a leech, my battle experience with creatures made my fighting instincts worthy of praise for I retreated the exact moment it's supposed to embrace me.

I was mad that it stolen my youth but unlike before I was angrier now that I was just inches away from my delicious food and how dare that thing disturb my meal. (Yeah, I'd never been angry than that since I can recall thinking of something like I will never drink water from now on or eat anything translucent. )

I lurched forward in light speed and touched the aqueous leech and it turned ice, more of the pool of water in a ground form in a shaped of leech and I advanced on them making them an ice statue.

Touching them made my right hand withers and I was starting to wobble.

Meters away from where I stood I lay motionless as I stare at the sparkling water in the fountain as it rose above and moulded in a form of a gigantic aqueous leech, the dripping from its huge body shaped a smaller version of its form they started to move in undulating movement and I could see how small its eyes was, like a diamond submerged in water and I readied myself to what might happen next.

I can't stop myself from shaking not because I was frighten, it was the after effect of transmuting my nen below freezing point but that won't hinder me from my battle so I accelerated towards the smaller ones and froze them, they're too slow to enveloped me that's their weakness.

The gigantic aqueous leech was upright staring at me with its tiny dazzling eyes and then it exploded showering drops of water. I concentrated my aura in my feet, my right hand was dead and dry and my left hand's index and middle finger was unable for touching and freezing the smaller aqueous leech.

I squeezed myself of enough Nen to my feet, trying to freeze everything around me, the raindrops, the air, the earth and yes surely I succeeded.

My senses was starting to fade, I was about to faint, when I saw the twinkling eyes of the leech and somehow not frozen, I reached for it using my thumb and ring finger and it felt like a bubble ready to burst and a sudden thirst engulfed me, I put my last energy in an effort to put that thing into my mouth.

When I woke up the warm feeling of frosty ground made me upright everything around me was ice, as far as my eyes could see. I made another Isle of Ice, and I praise myself for it. And I noticed my hand back to normal, healthy and fresh, my skin not wrinkled anymore, and my reflection on the crystal ice made me smirk for I was young again.

* * *

_**a/n:** but hey, every instances written there was original story and it turn out more on fantasy, well, I love fantasy :p _


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